Manchester City’s Director of Football Txiki Begiristain has bemoaned ambitious modern footballers, conceding that the club will be unable to sign Isco, Spain’s highly-rated U21 playmaker.

The predicted loss of Isco to Real Madrid, represents an untimely rebuttal of City’s desire to add to their squad of highly-decorative footballing baubles.

He said: “Since when did the ability to earn hundreds of thousands of pounds a week – often way above what might be expected to be paid to such relatively precocious and untested talent – lose its currency?

“We have become accustomed to simply flashing the cash, and letting the wages do the talking.

“Now it seems that the desire to play at the top level of European football – and to be able to compete against the big clubs – turns young players heads.

“It’s not the reason I got into the game…”

Isco was instrumental in leading Spain’s U21 side to victory in the recent European Championships, though is thought to prefer a move to Madrid over reuniting with his former boss at Malaga, Pellegrini.

When asked if Manchester City will now review their transfer policy in the wake of this setback, alongside their rumoured failure to land Napoli’s Edison Cavani, Begiristain claimed: “We’re always hopeful that we can charm a young player whose sole motivation for playing the game is the unscrupulous pursuit of further largesse, and conspicuous consumption of the tasteless trappings of obscene wealth.”

“I look at guys like Joleon Lescott and James Milner; These boys won’t complain if they’re not playing – and win or lose, they go home with the pockets of their indecently priced trousers straining against the weight of their paychecks.”

“The next Scott Sinclair could be just around the corner. What a lad; just give him £150k and a C-list girlfriend, and he’s happy as the day is long.”